A New Dawn
by Jexda92
Summary: It's been one hundred calm years in Hyrule since the Era of the Hero of Time when Ganondorf is revived. It's up to the new princess to save Hyrule with the help of a familiar hero. -Female Sheik, Link-
1. Prolouge

Prologue:

A shadow passed quietly through the streets of Castletown. Countless generations had failed, since the Hero chosen by the Goddess. But, HE would not. He looked no older than twenty-five, but he has had thousands of years to prepare for this. The Hero left Hyrule one hundred years ago, and has not been found since. This time there was no one to stop him from taking what he deserved this time. He started to laugh, a deep throaty laugh as he crept up the stone steps to Hyrule Castle, leaving a trail of dead guards in his wake.


	2. Chapter 1

Zelda watched her city through her window, noting how peaceful things seemed. There hadn't been a war in one hundred years, and hyrule was finally regaining it's reputation of being a prosperious land.

One hundred years ago a true and powerful evil rose from the desert. Ganondorf had every intention of stealing the Triforce and creating his own world in which he was king. Zelda knew the story by heart, for her great grandmother, and namesake had been the Goddes of Time. Together she and the Hero of Time vanquished Ganondorf returning peace to the land.

Zelda breathed in the cool air of the night, thinking fondly of the story passed down through her family, as a knock came to the door.

"Yes?" She stepped down from the window and stood tall and proud, even for the lateness of the night. Impa, followed by a guard made their way into her bedroom.

"Princess, we have grave news. Several guards have not returned from their posts, and-" Impa started.

"Impa, my friend, who can blame them, the night is so beautiful," Zelda said stepping forward to give Impa a comforting pat on the arm. Impa stepped back.

"Princess, they have been found," she looked away as sadness filled her face. "There were no survivors...But one. And he did not live long." The princess covered her mouth in shock.

"Did he say who did it?! He must be found! We will not stand for treason!" Zelda demanded as her eyes filled with tears.

"He did, Your Majesty. Which is why we're here. You must flee the city." Impa's eyes showed a concern the Zelda had never seen before. "It's Ganondorf, Zelda. He's returned."


	3. Chapter 2

"You must flee, Princess," Impa had said, grabbing her hand. "He must never find you." She handed the princess a sack full of clothing and rupees.

Zelda's took the sack from Impa and her eyes filled with tears.

"You remember what I've taught you? You'll need it now more than ever. Good luck to you, Sheik." Impa turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?!" Zelda half cried, half screamed at her oldest friend.

Impa stopped, and turned to Zelda, smiling. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a Deku Nut and dropped it to the floor, causing a flash before she disappeared.

Zelda sat up in her dark tent, sweating from her memory. It had been almost a month since Ganondorf's return. She wiped the tears away in the darkness.

'Now is as good a time as any to start the day', she thought, gathering her wraps. She carefully set her long blonde hair into a braid and finished by wrapping her lower face. After adjusting her head wrap to cover one eye, she glamoured the other to change from blue to red.

Quietly she placed her tent and blanket into her sack and set off towards the forest.

The sun was slowly rising as she finally started her way through Faron Woods. The forest was dense with green trees. Roots were popping out of the ground at almost every step she took, causing her to almost trip several times. Birds chirped softly, and forest creatures ran away from her lumbering. If she hadn't been at the castle the night of His return, she would have had a hard time believing that the world was in any danger.

She had been traveling for hours when she decided to stop. Making camp near a creek, Sheik found her fishing pole and cast it, hoping dinner would be a quick find. She started to doze off while waiting for something to bite.

A twig snapped behind her, causing her to jump into a defensive position.

"Who is there?" She demanded, reaching for her kunai. A man with golden hair and blue eyes stepped from behind a tree holding his hands up in surrender.

"I'm sorry to startle you, my name is Link," he slowly moved towards her lowering one of his hands and outstretching it in her direction.

Zelda eyed him cautiously, removing her hand from her kunai and extending it in his direction. His hand was rough and calloused like that of a man who worked hard labor. He pulled his hand out of hers, looking her over with his blue eyes.

"What's your name? I don't recall ever seeing you around these woods before." He stood back, crossing his arms across his chest, waiting for an answer.

" My name is Ze-Sheik. I am one of the last surviving members of the Sheikah tribe, and if you don't mind, I'm hungry, and I would like to get back to finding lunch." She turned away, hoping that he would do the same and leave her to her mission. The last thing she needed was a tag-a-long.

"You're not going to catch anything there," the man stated.

"And why is that?" She turned to face him once again to find his lips pressed into a hard line.

"Well, we haven't had fish in that creek in a month. That's not the only thing either. A lot of the bigger animals here in the forest have disappeared as well. With winter approaching, my village is in a panic." He sat down on the forest floor. "I was actually headed to the castle to plead with the king and princess to help when I... started folowing you." He seemed a little embarrassed at that last part, rubbing his shoulder and blushing slightly.

Sheik laughed. "Have you not heard? The King and his daughter have gone missing." It felt weird for her to talk about herself that way, but she had to ensure she wasn't found out. "The castle has fallen to a dark force." She looked down at her feet.

"What?" Sheik looked back at the Hylian man and saw his blue eyes looking at her incredulously. "That can't be true," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, I thought you would have heard by now. I didn't know those living in these woods were that out of touch," Sheik said softly.

His eyes hardened as he stood up, " I'm going to need you to follow me, and speak to my village's elder. Please." He added when Sheik's gaze grew cold. She was not used to being bossed around, but she reluctanly agreed. She had started her journey in the forest for a reason, she was hoping she'd find out why soon.


	4. Chapter 3

Link lead Sheik through the forest, talking happily about his home, pausing only to take small drinks from streams they passed along the way. He told her of their recent troubles in finding food, and how not even the villages around them could help. Sheik listened quietly, noting how passionate this man was about the welfare of his people.

'He would make a great king,' she smiled at the thought, remembering how her father listened to the townspeople and their problems. She hadn't seen her father since before the attack, and grew sad. She hoped Impa had been able to keep him safe.

"Are you alright?" Link asked.

Sheik hadn't even noticed that they'd stopped walking. Link was looking at her, his blue eyes wide with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine." Her stomach growled softly. "Just a tiny bit hungry."

"My village is just ahead," he replied smiling, "We can have lunch with the elder..."

Link trailed off and stared at the sky. Something had changed in the air, and after a moment of silence, Link broke out into a swift run through the thinning trees.

It took Sheik all of the energy she had to keep up. As a princess it was necessary to stay at a healthy weight, but she did that with a proper diet and her bow training. She was not cut out to run this far, this long. Her stomach started to cramp, but she had to keep up.

Link finally stopped at a clearing, and Sheik reached him after a moment, panting from the chase.

"What happened?" She asked after she caught her breath. Link was standing with his fists clenched, staring down the hill. Sheik followed his gaze and almost wished she hadn't. At the foot of the hill stood his village smoking from a recent fire. She covered her mouth in fear. She wasn't cut out for this. How could Impa give her this impossible task? She couldn't even keep up with a commoner, and she sure as hell couldn't stand to see her subjects suffer.

Link threw himself down the hill, bringing Sheik from her thoughts.

"Are you crazy!?" She yelled after him, starting to chase him again.

When they reached the village, they found its ashen huts were empty. Link checked every home that was still standing, while Sheik followed quietly after, feeling like she didn't belong here.

After they checked the last house, Link collapsed. They hadn't found any trace of a body in any home, so that meant whoever did this had either driven them out first, or the villagers had the time to escape.

"If only I would have been here, I could have stopped this," Link finally said, standing up.

"You don't know that. You don't even know what did this. There is one thing I do know, we should leave. Whoever did this could come back. Was your home here?" Sheik looked around the smoldering villager, hoping someone would appear to tell them what happened.

"I live in a tree house in the forest. Maybe someone is there!" Link looked slightly more hopeful as he beckoned Sheik to follow him back into the forest.

They found his home a short distance from the village, completely in tact. Link seemed to breathe a little easier seeing that his true home wasn't destroyed. They climbed up a short ladder, and Link fumbled with his lock. After a moment, he had the door unlocked and he swung the door open.

Before he took a step, a deku stick came down, smacking him hard on the head.

"Don't you take another step!" A voice yelled out from inside. Sheik stepped back, to avoid being hit next.

"It's Link! Stop!" Link said, still rubbing his head. Sheik heard rustling in his home before a hooded figure opened the door and stood in front of them.

"Link, is that really you?" The figure removed their hood, revealing an old wrinkled face topped with a head full of gray hair. The elder's eyes filled with tears as she took Link's face in to her hands. "Goddesses bless you, child. Did I hurt you?"

"Not too bad, are you hurt? What happened to the village? Where is everyone?" He spit out so many questions at once, that Sheik put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Why don't we sit down inside? My name is Sheik, it's very nice to meet you." Sheik extended her hand to the elder, who took it carefully, as if worried that Sheik would hurt her.

"You can trust her," he said, noting the caution in the elder's eyes. The elder then smiled at Sheik and stepped back to let them both inside.

"They came shortly after you left, bringing torches. They were the most evil beings I've ever encountered. Moblins, and Bokoblins. I've never seen them together before." Link made Sheik and the elder tea while they listened to her tale.

"They took everyone. I barely managed to escape." The elder looked down at her glass, and Link placed a hand on hers and squeezed.

"I don't think you were followed, so you should be safe here. Sheik and I will set off tomorrow in search of these creatures and our friends," he said looking at Sheik.

"What? I have my own business to attend to," Sheik stated, flatly. "I've already come to find myself off track enough as it is, and I can't risk any more distractions." She felt bad saying this, when he so clearly needed her, but she couldn't forget her mission. She needed to save Hyrule.

"Link, you can't go after them. If you haven't run in to those things yet, I doubt they're still around. You should go with this Sheik and help her in anyway you can." Sheik was outraged. She didn't need a babysitter, nor the help from this man at all.

"I'm grateful for the offer, but I must decline. You should help set things straight here before you go running off with me." Sheik tried not to sound rude, so as to not hurt his feelings.

"No, the elder's right, Sheik. I know these woods better than you do. I can offer you my sword, and companionship for your journey. And maybe along the way I can set my friends free." Sheik hated how his offer sounded more like a plea, but he was right. She'd get lost in these woods without a proper guide, and in these circumstances, he was all she had.

"Alright, but don't ask any questions, and don't get in my way. I suppose you should pack some supplies tonight, and we can take turns with a watch in case any thing is lurking around." Link seemed in a much better mood the rest of the night as he packed. The elder suggested that they go to the Temple within the forest first. Sheik conceded, seeing no way out of it. She just hoped that this man was who she was beginning to think he was.


	5. Chapter 4

The door to the temple was made of heavy stone, and it took both of their strengths combined to open it. It had taken them three days to reach it, and Sheik was ready for a break. Link decided that they would make camp inside, that way they could make a fire and not attract any danger.

'Not that it would matter,' Sheik thought. The journey there had been uneventful. They hadn't encountered anything. Which Sheik expected Link to be upset about, because no monsters meant no villagers. Surprisingly he was cheerful the whole way.

"I guess we should take turns with a watch tonight, just to be sure." Link was trying to get a fire going as Sheik was laying out her blanket in a pitiful attempt to make the hard floor more comfortable.

"I suppose you're right, I'll take the first watch," she said, settling down. She doubted she'd get much sleep tonight anyway. She watched Link remove the sword and shield he brought from his home and set them next to where she assumed he'd be sleeping.

"So, you never did tell me where you're from," Link mumbled through a yawn. He stretched and laid down on the floor.

"Kakariko Village. What about you?" Sheik stretched her hands out in front of the fire, in an effort to warm them.

"I don't know," he said, after a moment. "The elder found me here, alone. I don't know where I came from or who my family is."

Sheik didn't know what to say to that. She understood now why his village meant so much to him. They took him in and raised him from nothing.

"You had better get some sleep now, I have a feeling that this temple isn't going to be an easy adventure." Sheik sighed, feeling a little awkward. She didn't know how to talk to people personally. And Link didn't reply, instead he just rolled over and fell quickly to sleep.

Sheik thought about home as she sat on the cold stone floor. She missed her bed and Impa more than anything. Despite their age difference, Impa had been her best friend. She oversaw all of her training, both in the field, and as a princess. But nothing had prepared her for this.

Link's soft snoring brought her from her thoughts. He had ended up facing her, his blond hair disheveled from sleep. He wasn't unattractive, Sheik mused, noting how his Hylian features were softened in his sleep. Sheik's eyes drifted from his face to his chest, quietly watching it rise and fall with his breathing.

"See something you like?" Sheik's eyes snapped to his face, and there he was, blue eyes trained on her with his mouth set in a grin.

"What? I-I don't know what you're talked about," Sheik managed to stammer. Her face was now a bright red and felt hotter than the fire.

"Hmm, whatever you say. I suppose I've slept long enough, my turn with the watch." Link sat up, still watching her. Sheik, not knowing what to say, just rolled away from him, and closed her eyes.

Her dreams of home were cut short when she woke to Link slowly shaking her by the shoulder.

"I think I heard something," he said quietly. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up.

"It came from down there," he continued, pointing down the stairs. Sheik noticed that he had already packed everything up, saving the task of waking her up for last.

"I guess we have no choice but to check it out," she replied, yawning.

She helped Link put out the fire before they started down the hallway. As they started walking, it dawned on Sheik that they didn't have any light except for the moon peeking through some cracks in the roof. If they were going to go deeper, they would need torches. She was about to bring this to Link's attention when something clamped on her thigh, sending pain through her leg.

She looked down and saw a Deku Baba had surfaced and bitten her, and before she could react Link came down heavy on the plant's neck with his sword, severing it completely. After a second, the vile plant released its hold on Sheik's leg.

"Are you hurt?" He helped her sit down on a piece of stone, and started to undo some of her wrappings. About twenty or so tiny little red dots appeared in a crescent shape on her bare thigh.

"It just stings a bit," she replied, trying to not seem as shaken as she was. "I have fresh bandages in my bag."

"We need to clean it before we wrap it, or it will just get infected," he said, grabbing one of his bottles of water. He poured some of the contents on the wound and with a clean cloth, started washing most of the blood away.

"That stings," Sheik said, wincing. She was thankful for her companion now. If she were alone, she doubted she could have made it through that with less than a bite.

"I'm sorry, but it's over now," He wiped away the rest of the water, and when her leg was dry, he started to wrap it back up.

Once her leg was wrapped, she stood and applied a small amount of pressure to it. Sure enough she found that she could walk, and they continued down the dark passageway. She sent a silent prayer to the Goddess' for sending Link to her.

"Thanks for that, by the way," she said softly. As thankful as she was, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She couldn't hold her own against a plant, how was she supposed to save Hyrule.

"You don't have to thank me. I would have done it for anyone. Deku Babas are vicious, and if I wasn't here you could have taken way more damage. Plus were kind of even. If I wouldn't have come with you, I'd just be sitting around angry. So in a way, you've helped me." Sheik assumed he was grinning at her by the gleam of his teeth in the moonlight.

"Well, regardless, thank you. By the way, have you heard that noise? I haven't heard anything at all." Sheik had stopped walking to listen.

"I haven't heard it since we killed the Baba. So maybe that was it," Link said, stopping. "Would you like to rest? I'll watch."

Sheik was grateful for the offer. Her leg was growing sore, and she needed to get more sleep.

Link helped her set lay out her blanket, and after she was laying down he started a fire. Sheik closed her eyes, and slowly drifted off to sleep, hoping that saving her kingdom was a goal she could achieve. 


End file.
